Some may know the history of Pompeii. The Roman city, founded in the 6th-7th century BC, that was buried in ash after a major volcanic eruption. But most don’t know the history of Santorini’s prehistoric city. Buried underneath ash lived an ancient settlement called Akrotiri. The Minoan Bronze Age settlement was destroyed by the Theran volcanic eruption in the late 17th century.
This is one of the seven excavated building.
Every summer archaeologists continue to work on the excavated site.
Like the Pompeii ruins, the settlement of Akrotiri is well preserved. An extensive excavation was discovered by Greek archaeologist Spyridon Marinatos in 1967. Visitors can explore the archaeological site today for approximately 12 euros. It is best to use public transportation to get to the excavation. However, several travel agencies include visiting Akrotiri.
View of the prehistoric town from the bus stop.
Based on the excavation site, it’s fair to say the Minoans were highly skilled people. They understood the concept of architecture and plumbing. Yes, there is, in fact, a preserved toilet.
An original Bronze Age toilet made of stone.
(Left) Street network and drainage sewage system of the city.
(Right) What is seen is called the Pithoi Stoneroom-
the first building that brought attention to the excavation because of the large storage jars.
Unlike Pompeii, you will not find dead bodies caused by the volcanic eruption. The burning question here is this- what happened to the inhabitants? Unfortunately, there isn’t enough evidence to know what happened to the inhabitants. A Santorini tour guide named Katie led a group of visitors around the excavation. Katie says the Greek government does not have enough money to continue excavation. Therefore, there’s no sign of human skeletons. She said, “Some archaeologists think they might find skeletons if they continue excavating but there’s also a theory that the inhabitants had enough time to evacuate the area.”
Only three percent of the town is part of the excavation site. Who knows what other pieces of history lie beneath the town.
More insights from the excavation site below.
